


takagin | things you said when i was crying

by pec



Series: things you said [2]
Category: Gintama
Genre: M/M, Not Beta Read, Post-Canon, meme fill, so emotions much tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-09 00:58:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7780762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pec/pseuds/pec
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[fill from a twitter fanfic meme - posting it here after some tweaking]</p>
            </blockquote>





	takagin | things you said when i was crying

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: these characters are not belong of me.

There's some grass and weed growing around the gravestone that needs trimming. There are white splashes on the gray stone itself that looks like dried bird droppings. _Damn crows still giving him crap_. Takasugi grimaces to himself as he tries to scratch clean the rock slab with his blade, which only serves to make loud and harsh scraping noises. Takasugi switches to rubbing the spots with the sleeve of his haori, but obviously, that doesn't work either. Those stains and overgrown weeds are the result of extensive abandonment. They won't go away that easily. 

Takasugi reaches out and sweeps his palm over the carved writing on the stone to remove the dirt collected there. 

Yoshida Shouyou.

Below the name is a date and the words _Thousand Years Too Early_. 

Takasugi finds it hard to remove his hand from the stone. 

“Sensei...”

He finds it hard to speak. Finds it hard to see as his vision becomes unexpectedly blurred.

“Oi!” calls out a voice he knows too well. 

He didn't notice Gintoki walking up the cliff. He furiously wipes his face on his sleeve. 

“What do you want?” he asks, not making eye contact with the other man. 

“Huh?” says Gintoki. “What do you think? I'm here for the same reason you are. But why is it taking you so goddamn long to pay your respect, hn? Are you broke, are you out of respects?!”

Takasugi glares silently ahead, refusing to be goaded into arguing with him. 

“Not in the mood to talk? Geez, guess I'll have to do the talking for you.”

And with that Gintoki kneels down beside Takasugi, facing the tombstone. 

“Yeah, this guy's surprisingly shy, so I'll be conveying his message to you.” Gintoki adresses the stone, pointing a thumb at Takasugi. 

“So I think what he wants to say is that he's sorry for all the trouble he caused, and he promises to become a decent civilian from now on. He says he's finding it terribly difficult to stop being mean and passive-aggressive because he's a bit of a coward, just like-- huh? What's that?!” Gintoki pauses to put a hand beside his ear and lean towards Takasugi, who scowls at him. “Just like Gintoki??”

Gintoki returns the scowl and resumes talking to the headstone. “He is still incredibly rude, sensei. Tsk. He's still walking around wandering, and worrying, but to no avail. He's just going in circles, so many circles that he feels like a ballerina.”

Takasugi tries to flog Gintoki with the hilt of his sword but he's weak from crying – and still crying a little – and Gintoki dodges him easily to continue undeterred. 

“He's sick of fighting Gintoki, who's just too strong and can never be destroyed. He says he doesn't know when to give up. He hasn't grown much at all-- speaking of, he says he's sick of being made fun of because of his height.” Takasugi forms his hands into fists and bites down another urge to injure the man beside him, but the next words take him by surprise.

“And he misses you.”

Takasugi blinks away the tears and looks over at Gintoki, who's now smiling down gently. “He misses you very much. But he has a lot more people in his life now. He's not alone anymore.”

Takasugi wonders whether Gintoki is speaking on his behalf alone or on the behalf of them both. Takasugi wonders if Gintoki is feeling the same tightness in his chest right now as he is. 

“What's that?” Gintoki brings his cupped ear close to the gravestone. “You've got a message for Takasugi, too? Mhmm. Hm. Okay.” 

Gintoki straightens himself. Takasugi closes his eyes. There's a stinging in his eyes due to the barricaded tears. 

“Sensei wants you to stop being a jerk. He says Gintoki is just very special but don't give up on beating him, keep trying, he doubts you'll ever surpass Gintoki but keep challenging him. He also doubts you'll grow any taller now, but nonetheless keep drinking that nasty stuff; yakult.”

Gintoki pauses, clearly thinking of the next words. Takasugi only notices now how hard his own heart is beating. 

“He... he wants you to know that he doesn't hold anything against you. He says you've been very brave. There's nothing to be ashamed of for worrying and wandering, but it's even better to do it in the company of those you trust. And he says--”

Gintoki now turns to look squarely at Takasugi, mouth curved and eyes soft. 

“He says he loves you, just as much as he always did.” 

Gintoki holds his gaze until Takasugi gives up and lets out a soft sob. He drops his head on Gintoki's shoulder and cries his heart out, chanting _thank you_ in his head. 

_Thank you, oh, thank you._

~ * ~


End file.
